University of Virginia Library

CXCIX. John Bargrave. A Petition to the Committee for Griev-
ances, House of Commons
November (after 22), 1621

The humble petic̃on of Jno Bargraue esq̢ in the behalf of himself the absent
Planters in Virginia, & all other adventurors that shall adventure there
estates vnder a Gou9ment ruled by voyces where the Gou9nor being

corrupt the greatest ioynct Stocks may by practize & facc̃on [&][257] so dispose
of the Gou9ment as they may by the means of the instruments thereof
monopolize the whole proffit that shall arise, out of the said Aduentures into
a few priuate handes.

Shewing

That whereas his Matye hath been pleased to graunt vnto the Trer̃ & Com-
pany of Virginia diuers ɫres Pattents, togeather wth many gratious p̳viledges
& loueing instrucc̃ons as well for the good gou9mt of the said Company
as for the advancemt of the plantac̃on, all wch graunts being made to a
Treasurer his deputy fiue Counsellors and 15 comittees Com̃onrs they are
tyed to make their lawes aswell by the said graunts as by the Kings in-
strucc̃ons according to the lawes of England, wch incoragements stirring
vpp many to adventure their moneys yor peticonr was induced by the
noblenes of the Acc̃on to vndertake to be the first planter of a priuate
Colonye there, To wch end he caused a Pattent of free trade to be obteyned
from the Company vnder wch he intended to plant: Now so it is that Sr
Thomas Smyth late Trẽr of the said Company, and others practizeing wth
him to worke their owne ends, haue contrary to his Maties said Pattent &
royall instrucc̃ons framed a Tiranicall gouerment to be imposed on his
Maties subjects in Virginia as by this booke printed by his direcc̃ons may
appeare, By means whereof many pore people in Virginia were depriued
of their liues and goods & many were brought into Condemnac̃on & slauery:
And whereas the sayd Sr Thomas Smyth did formerly mallice yor said
petic̃oner wthout any just cause, yor Orator now found himself his estate
and those he imployed (by means of priuate instrucc̃ons giuen to the Gou9-
nor in Virginia) inthralled by this Tyrrany and thereby was made the
Anvill of the mallice & greedy desyres of the Gou9nors both here and there
for whereas by the said Pattent, all things that pass from the said pattentees
are passed by most voyces in the name of the said Comp̃ at the least 15
Comonrs & 5 Counsellors whereof the Trẽr or Deputy being one, are able
to make any lawfull act, The said Sr Tho. Smyth Alderm9 Johnson and
others in an answeare on their oathes equivocating vppon the word Com-
pany they make it threefould the first being the Company ordeyned
by the King, the second a company of practize, between three, .4. and .5.

meeting in the Trẽrs Chamber, This Company being the ground of all
the mischeefs that befell the plantac̃on, may aptly be tearmed his Conclaue,
This second Company begat a third to witt a Company of ffacc̃on by frame-
ing a joynct stock tearmed the Magazine founded on a Contract made wth
Sr Thomas Dale, which ioynt stock being tyed to set prizes, was at the first
ordeyned but as a seruant to the Comp̃, and had not any power giuen her to
doe any lawfull Act, but she afterward being able to carry the most voyces,
now of a seruant beeam (haueing the Trẽrer to frind) became the mistress
of the Company ordeined by the King, and so publique good was forced
to serue priuate gane. By this means all the rights prviledges and lib9tyes
togeather wth the gou9ment of the law is layd asside & had noe power to
worke all free trade is barred to any but the Magazine, The Planters goods
after 9 or ten yeares seruice in this former slauery being taken from them,
are sould and bought before their faces, and the prices contracted for wth
Sr Tho Dale are sunck and raised at the will of this Conclaue, And whereas
heretofore there was eight or ten staple comodityes brought from Virginia
nothing comes home now but tobacco & sassafrass to fill Alderman Johnsons
shopp, and there goeing .8. or .10. shipps to Virginia in one yeare, all of them
comes home emptye except the Magazine shipp, by wch meanes the very
name of the plantac̃on [2] in Virginia was brought into detestac̃on here
And the Planters here groaning vnder the oppression of their gou9nors
here, write ouer lres to nue Patrons complayning of their wronges, and yor
Peticonrs free trade being bard And afterward by deteyning of his goods &
the passengers that came home in his shipps as well at the first coming as
afterwards when yor petic̃onr had two shipps & 100 men in pay vpon a
second voyage which shipps they desyring to stay that the Magazine
might take away their Trade before yor Orators shipp came to Virginia, the
deteyning his goods being the means to doe it, Yor Petic̃oner findeing him-
self so besett by them that he had noe way to escape them but by putting
himself to the Company thinking that fiue Counsellors & 15 Com̃onrs could
hardly be founde that would doe him so much wrong To his ou9throw he
felt that this conclaue consisting of two buyers and three sellers Alderman
Johnson being the buyer and seller of a great part of yor Petic̃onrs goods to
himselfe was the Companye they intended whereby they deceiued yor
Peticonr to the vallue of 3000ll͠, stayed his shipps putting them into a winters
voyage were the death of the most of his men The Mariners sould his shipps
in Virginia to pay themselues wages, and this yor Orator and another gen-
tleman his p̱tner had the voyage ouerthrowne wch cost as it appears by their
Acco neer vpon 3600ll͠ and this was donn in the name of the Company,
This there vniust dealings much greiuing some of the noblest of thadventurs
who seeking aswell to redress these wrongs as to call Sr Thomas Smyth and §or§ his Casheires to acco for the moneys he [he] hath rec̃d vppon adven-
tures, lotteryes and other means graunted by the King for the good of the
said Plantac̃on, But by the sequence it appeares, they traduced him to his
Maty, and ioyning wth certaine sole importers of tobacco, vnder a Couller
of their being the onely husbands to the King they sought to make them-
selues or some of their frinds Gou9nors thereby to keep the said Plantac̃on
in slauery, and to smother there iniurious dealings which Gou9norship
although they failed in it the Company not induring them yet the sole
importac̃on of tobacco being gained by the Projectors they haue banished
the bringing home of Virginia tobacco, whereby the Plantac̃on is vndonne
by them, that setting a price onely of tobacco and sassefrass made it alone
to be planted there: All wch wrongs & iniuryes afforesaid yor Petic̃oner
hath thought fitt to make knowne to this honorable assemblye humbly
desyring that the said Sr Thomas Smyth may declare wherefore he hath
not ruled the Compã & Colony in Virg. according to his Maties Lres Pattents
& instrucc̃ons, but by the lawes directly contrary to the same, And fur-
ther that he and his Cash Kep̱s may be forthwith Compelled to pay into
the now Trẽr so much money as they haue any way rec̃d for the said Com-
pany, & can shew noe true or iustifiable acco or discharge for the same, And
likewise to consider how much the Plantac̃on hath been dishonored thereby,
And lastly that he and his associates may make satisfacc̃on to yor Petic̃oner
of all such hindrances as he hath by their vniust practizes susteyned

And yor petic̃onr will euer pray for yor honors as the Preseruers of his
estate